Episode 141 - Body Karma

<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Buddha explained the Ten Nonvirtuous Actions as a way to guide our actions of body, speech, and mind. "Nonvirtuous" means that it brings suffering to us in the future by way of negative karmic results. Yet it is easy to be confused about what is nonvirtuous if everyone around us is doing it or if our society sanctions it. That is why we are encouraged in Buddhism to bring the light of awareness to our actions. To see, in the light of our own wisdom, if our actions are helpful or harmful. The daily mindfulness practice JoAnn Fox suggests begins by contemplating what unskillful actions of body we currently engage in and deciding if we want to abandon them. Over the course of the week, with mindfulness, we observe our thoughts when the impulse to engage in that behavior arises. We try to understand why we engage in that behavior and make an effort to abandon it. </span></p> <p> </p> <p><strong>The Three Nonvirtuous Actions of Body:</strong></p> <ol> <li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1"><span style= "font-weight: 400;">Killing </span></li> <li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1"><span style= "font-weight: 400;">Stealing</span></li> <li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1"><span style= "font-weight: 400;">Sexual Misconduct</span></li> </ol> <p> </p> <p><strong>The karmic results of the three nonvirtuous actions of body</strong></p> <ol> <li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1"> <strong>Killing</strong><span style="font-weight: 400;">: a short lifetime. Things in the external environment such as food and drink, medicine, and fruits will have little strength, be ineffective, have little potency and power, or, being difficult to digest, will induce illness. Hence, most living beings will die without living out their expected life spans. </span></li> <li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1"> <strong>Stealing:</strong> <span style="font-weight: 400;">a lack of resources. The environmental effects of stealing are that you will have few fruits, the fruits will not b